American Fashions – Spring 1896

Two women are stand together on a city street. The woman on the left wears a light and dark blue striped dress with full bias-cut puffed sleeves and a flared skirt. She wears a green blouse with the jacket of the dress over it.

The jacket bodice is dark blue, with curved bolero lapels ornamented with a line of fancy round silver buttons, and a second lapel below that trimmed with gold lace or embroidery. The blouse and jacket have a very high standing collar with green puffs at the sides. A dark blue sash creates a waist. The cuffs of her sleeves end with white lace ruffles, and have buttons that match those on the lapels. She wears white gloves, and holds a dark cylinder in her left hand. She is wearing a dark hat with plumes.

The woman on the right is wearing a long sleeved lavender brocade dress with a floral pattern. It is trimmed with very large purple bows at the shoulders, a purple sash at the waist, and two bands of white lace on the bodice. White lace ruffles edge the cuffs at the wrists. She wears a large sheer pale lavender bow at the neck. Her hat is green, trimmed with standing bows and large pink flowers.

She is wearing white gloves and carries a furled dark umbrella. Behind the ladies is a brick and stone faced piller, a fence, a tree filled enclosure, and a tall row of buildings in the distance behind the trees.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges